There have been various attempts to generate power of electricity. These attempts can be broadly categorized as the use of depletable resources, and the use of renewable energy.
Current depletable resources include coal, oil and nuclear energy. These resources are known to be pollutive not only upon extraction, and also when these resources are being used. Further, these resources are not freely available in all parts of the world, and regions who possess these resources, may tend to hold the rest of the world ‘at ransom’. More importantly, the negative side effects of the use of nuclear energy may even be long term.
Notwithstanding the negative impacts of these depletable resources, they are currently still being mined, as they are the traditional energy resources. Thus, these resources are being threatened.
The long-term solution is to engage and harness known renewable energies, for example, solar energy, wind energy and hydraulic energy.
Most known attempts which operate using renewable energies work on very tight parameters as they rely solely on the presence of these renewable energies, and the fact that these energies are seasonal and unpredictable. These are not always found where they are needed. For example, when hydraulics are used as a power generating source, the power generation machines will need to be physically built at or around moving water, for example, rivers or near dams. This may not always be economically feasible, and may require rather long term payback.
In another example, renewable energy like solar energy is limited during wintry periods, when power or electricity generation is needed more.
A solution to this is an arrangement to channel excess energies to batteries for use during off load periods. However, these batteries not only are expensive, but also have a relatively short life span and are toxic. Most importantly, due to the relatively short life span, the continued disposal of these toxic substances are pollutive to the environment.
There is thus a need to alleviate and ameliorate all of these problems as highlighted above.